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The Cyberiad (), sometimes subtitled Fables for the Cybernetic Age, is a series of humorous science fiction short story by Polish writer Stanisław Lem published during 1964–1979. The first collected set of stories was originally published in 1965, with an English translation by Michael Kandel first appearing in 1974.
The main of the stories are Trurl and Klapaucius, two "constructor" robots who travel the galaxy, constructing fantastic machines. Nearly every character is either a humanoid robot or some sort of intelligent machine, with AI takeover. These robots have for the most part organized themselves into proto-Feudalism societies with strict ranks and structures. The timeline of each story is relatively constrained, with the majority of the individual tales following one or both of the two protagonists as they find and aid civilizations and people in need of their creations, advice, or intervention. Though the thematic content of the stories is broad, most focus on problems of the individual and society, as well as on the vain search for human happiness through technological means.
In 1970, the book was adapted into the opera Cyberiada. Alongside many of Lem's other works, this book has been an inspiration for numerous films and games. There is a steel statue of Elektrybałt, Trurl's legendary electronic bard, in the Copernicus Science Centre, Warsaw. "Elektrybałt, czyli elektroniczny poeta" , Gazeta Wyborcza.
The Cyberiad shares the peculiar robot's universe, as well as the style, with the cycle Fables for Robots.
Despite its titular status, the word "Cyberiad" refers to nothing in the tales; it is used only once in an ambiguous context by Trurl's Elektrybałt.Lem Stanisław. Listy albo opór materii, Kraków, Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2002.
The duo are both Frenemy. Their adventures consist of both building revolutionary machines at home and travelling the galaxy to aid those in need. Although they are firmly established as fundamentally good and righteous people through their actions, they typically demand payment for their services, usually delivered in the form of . In one story, when rewards for slaying a dragon are promised and not delivered, Trurl disguises himself in the skin of the dragon to continue harassing the local inhabitants until he can collect his payment. Despite their love of money, they prefer to aid the oppressed and help civilizations reach higher "levels of development" (at least by their own standards.) The machines the two build and the journeys they embark on are the basis for the greater moral lessons of the book.
The universe of The Cyberiad is primarily pseudo-Middle Ages, with monarchy, , , and even existing in abundance. The level of technology of the vast majority of kingdoms also mirrors medieval times, with swords, robotic steeds, and gallows widespread. Alongside this, Spaceflight, extremely advanced technology, and futuristic weapons and devices are available. Often the lessons of medieval chivalry are retaught in a way more applicable to the machine age.
Aside from the obvious themes about robotics, the work also contains more overt criticisms of the conditions under which it was written, as some stories having directly political messages. Nearly every aristocratic ruler is portrayed as inept or corrupt, ruling over their subjects with brutality and fear. This philosophy was relatively in line with the Soviet view of monarchy. However, contrasting that, a robotic analogue of Karl Marx is also put to death, not because of his ideas, but because he refused to stop attempting to implement his philosophy after his initial failure (a clear critique of the Soviet Union.) The H.P.L.D. ("Highest Possible Level of Development") civilization outright states that it is impossible to force happiness on a civilization, and that it must struggle through the process of building a society itself.
A select few stories parallel more specific tropes; the tale of O królewiczu Ferrycym i królewnie Krystalii ("Prince Ferrix and the Princess Crystal") apes the typical structure of the medieval love fairytale. The prince goes to seek the love of Princess Crystal (the sexual dimorphism of robotics is never thoroughly explained), but she says she will only marry a "paleface," a term for humans in this apocalyptic future. This is also the only story in which a human is a character; though they are mentioned offhand in others, they are never treated as anything more than a Creation myth. The prince disguises himself as a paleface to try and win her love, but when a true human is brought before her, the incredible ugliness of the human makes it obvious that the prince is only pretending. The Princess forces them to duel to the death, and Prince Ferrix easily crushes the human. However, in the process, Princess Crystal realizes how hideous humans are and falls in love with Ferrix, and the two live happily ever after, in a parody of Chivalric romance. Other parodied tropes include the Sorcerer's Apprentice and Midas. By parodying these with Robotics, Lem reevaluates the ethical and moral considerations of these myths.
Modern Polish editions contain five stories which are absent from Kandel's English edition: Kobyszczę, Edukacja Cyfrania, Opowieść pierwszego odmrożeńca, Opowieść drugiego odmrożeńca, and Powtórka.Stanislaw Lem (1974). 081649164X, Seabury Press. 081649164XStanislaw Lem9788308032084, Wydawnictwo Literackie. ISBN 9788308032084 Kobyszczę has appeared in English as “In Hot Pursuit of Happiness,” in the 1973 anthology View from Another Shore edited by Franz Rottensteiner.9780853239420, Liverpool University Press. ISBN 9780853239420
The book was met with praise at release, with critics applauding both the original and the renowned translation. Leslie Fiedler called the work "truly amusing and profoundly disturbing at the same time". Though some critics disliked the directness of the fables, it was agreed that it was if nothing else, a sharp and amusing satire of our modern society. Later on, more critical literary analysis also praised the work, drawing attention to its sharp political messages, critique of anthropocentrism, and approach to the psychology of artificial life. It has been considered a classic of science fiction and has become widely appreciated in both the Eastern European and broader scientific and technological communities. "Stanisław Lem on Google’s homepage", an interview of Lem doodle creators, Marcin Wichary and Sophia Foster-Dimino. "Case Study: Building the Stanisław Lem Google doodle", by Marcin Wichary, one of the LEM doodle developers.
The book as a whole, and some stories contained within, have been praised by numerous science fiction writers, most famously Ursula K. Le Guin and Kurt Vonnegut.
An elaborate interactive Google Doodle Lem's Google Doodle. inspired by the illustrations of Daniel Mróz in The Cyberiad was created and published on November 23, 2011 in his honor for the 60th anniversary of Lem's first published book: The Astronauts. 60th Anniversary of Stanislaw Lem's First Publication, November 23, 2011. In it, an animated character resembling Lem meets a giant robot. Stanislaw LEM: 60th anniversary of first book celebrated with giant robot Google Doodle, telegraph.co.uk
In 1975 an animated film Maszyna Trurla (8 minutes) was released based on Lem's story (director , screenplay ). "Maszyna Trurla" at filmpolski.pl.
The Seventh or How Trurl's Own Perfection Led to No Good (Polish title: Wyprawa siódma, czyli o tym jak własna doskonałość Trurla do złego przywiodła) was adapted as part of the plot for the film Victim of the Brain, there called The Perfect Imitation. This same story, in which Trurl creates a miniature mechanical kingdom for a tyrant to play with, was also an inspiration of the game SimCity.
In 2026 the book was adapted into a five-part audio series for BBC Radio 4.
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